In 2016, Marine Connection contacted the Minister for the Environment in Gibraltar following reports that many dolphins in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters (BGTW) were being injured due to a fishing practice often used by sports fishermen to catch large pelagic fish such blue-fin tuna known as “popping’.
Popping involves casting lines and lures with hooks into shoals of tuna. Some fishermen targeting this species of tuna over the summer months in Gibraltar’s waters were casting their braided tight fishing lines into the centre of pods of dolphins in the hope that the fast-moving tuna are underneath. When the tight lines are reeled in, they occasionally come into contact with individual dolphins, causing them horrific injuries – at times the lure becomes caught in the dolphins’ dorsal fin causing sections to rip off.
Although dolphins are protected by law in Gibraltar, Marine Connection felt that they were not being afforded adequate protection, and welcome the news that the Gibraltar Government has created a Dolphin Protection Zone within BGTW to provide a safe haven for dolphins which frequent these waters. It was announced ahead of the new tuna fishing season which recently started, that the practice of ‘popping’ for tuna, will not be allowed in BGTW approximately north of Rosia Bay.
Gibraltar’s Cetacean Protocol states that vessels should maintain a minimum distance of 60 metres from any dolphin (or whale) whilst navigating in BGTW – however sport fishermen were clearly not adhering to the minimum distance or speed regulations, and the Department’s Environmental Protection & Research Unit will work closely with the Royal Gibraltar Police and HM Customs over the tuna season to monitor vessel activity in BGTW to ensure the new zone regulations are adhered to.
